Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port

What it is

LBV (Late Bottled Vintage) Port is a single-vintage Port which, unlike Vintage Port, spends several years in wood before bottling. It comes from the Douro Valley in northern Portugal and shows a deep ruby colour, ripe dark fruit such as plum and blackberry, and a rich sweetness with softer tannins than a young Vintage Port. It was conceived as a way of offering the character of a vintage-dated Port that is ready to drink sooner. There are two styles: filtered, the more common, and unfiltered, closer to Vintage Port, which can continue to develop in bottle.

How it is made

It is made from red Douro grapes and, like all Port, fortified with grape spirit during fermentation, which stops it and leaves part of the grape's natural sugar. The wine, from a single year, is aged in wood and must be bottled between the fourth and sixth year after the harvest. Most LBV is filtered before bottling; unfiltered versions throw a deposit over time and are best decanted.

What to serve it with

• Dark chocolate desserts
• Blue cheeses
• Aged cheeses
• Red berry desserts
• Nuts

On the wine list

• Show the vintage and whether it is filtered or unfiltered: unfiltered LBV may have sediment and is best decanted before serving.
• It is a practical by-the-glass option: it offers the character of a vintage-dated Port without the long cellaring a Vintage Port needs, and once opened it usually keeps well for several days if resealed.
• Place it in the Port section of the wine list, between Ruby and Vintage, and serve it in a small glass, slightly below room temperature.